Wheel and axle toy



May 31, 1960 J. T. BAILEY WHEEL AND AxLE Toy Filed Feb. 5, 1959 Joyce 7.' Bai/ey INV ENTOR.

ATTORNEY United States! PatentZ WHEEL AND AXLE TY Joyce T. Bailey, 10700 Sunnymeade Place, Oklahoma City, Okla.

Filed Feb. 5, 1959, Ser. No. 791,322 3 Claims. (Cl. 46220) The present invention relates to toys and more particularly to a mechanical type toy.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a wheel type toy, mechanical in appearance but constructed with such simplicity that it does not depict any particular type of toy, whereby the operator, through his imagination, can easily assume the toy to be any wheeled mechanism of his choice.

Another object is to provide a wheeled toy for the amusement of the operator and which will develop deftness and muscular control of the operator by the handling of the toy.

An additional object is to provide a wheel type toy having a clutch means wherein the operator can stop rotation of the Wheel independently of its mounting axle.

Frequentlychildren, in playing with toys, desire to operate the toy through mud and water, or the like, which usually results'in the operators clothing becoming soiled by reason of the factY that most mechanical toys do not provide a means of remote control for the mobile portion of the toy.

Another object is to provide a toy having having a single wheel rotatably mounted on one end of an elongated axle which permits the operator to control the movement of the wheel by the end of the axle opposite the wheel.

Another object is to provide a toy of this class which is sturdily and simply constructed vand which will not easily get out of order.

The present invention accomplishes these and other objects by providing an elongated axle on one end of which a wheel is rotatably mounted. A sleeve surrounds the axle and extends laterally of the wheel. Key means secures the sleeve to the axle adjacent the wheel for longitudinal movement of the sleeve relative to the axle. Clutch means, carried by the sleeve adjacent its free end, permits movement of the sleeve toward and away from the wheel for compressing a resilient bushing, interposed between the wheel and the end of the axle opposite the sleeve, for gripping and releasing the wheel for rotation with or independently of the axle. s

Other objects will be apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying single sheet of drawings, wherein: t

Figure l is a vertical cross-sectional view, partly" in elevation, of the device;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view, the clutch actuating lever; and,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view, partly in elevation, of the wheel hub and the adjacent end of the axle. v

Like characters of reference designate like parts in those figures of the drawings in which they occur.

In the drawings:

The reference numeral indicates the device, as a whole, comprising a wheel 12 and a control handle 14. The wheel 12 is preferably provided with a resilient illustrating tread ortire l5. The Wheel 12 includes opposing disks 16 and 17 which support a hub 18 and a pair of sleeve bearings 20-21 secured within the hub 18 at opposing ends thereof. Each ofthe bearings 20-21 project outwardly from the respective ends of the hub a relatively short distance for the purposes which Will be readily apparent. While sleeve bearings are shown and described itV seems obvious that roller or ball bearings may be used if desired. The wheel 12 is rotatably mounted at one end of a stub axle 22. The axle 22 has a circumferentially enlarged head end 24 for retaining the wheel thereon. The opposing end of the axle 22 is centrally bored and threaded, as at 26, for receiving one end of an elongated rod 28. A lock nut 30 secures the rod 28 to the axle 22. The opposing end portion of the rod 28 is externally threaded for receiving one end of a stub shaft 32 which is substantially equal diametrically' with respect to the axle 22. v

An elongated sleeve 34 having a bore 36 diametrically slightly greater than the diameter of the axle 22 and shaft 32 is freely received therearound and which projects outwardly of the wheel 12 beyond the free end of the shaft 32 to form a handle portion 38 for controlling the operation of the wheel. The end'portion of the sleeve, adjacent the wheel 12, has a longitudinally extending slot or keyway 40 formed in its inner surface defining the bore 36. A key 42 secured to the end portion of the axle 22, projecting laterally of the wheel, is freely received by the keyway 40 to prevent rotation of the sleeve 34 relative to the axle 22 but which will permit limited longitudinal movement of the sleeve relative to the axle for the purposes more fully disclosed hereinbelow. Thus it may be seen that the length of the axle 22 need be only great enough to permit the mounting ofthe wheel 12 thereon and to extend laterally of the wheel a dis-v tance suicient to receive the key 42 and the adjacent end portion of the sleeve. Similarly the length of the rod 28 and shaft 32 may be varied as desired. A helical slot 44 is formed through the Iwall of the sleeve 34 in that portion covering the shaft 32. The length of the slot 44- may be` varied as desired and in the example shown extends substantially around the periphery of the sleeve. Theslot 44 is disposed on a relatively smallV helix angleand is provided at each of its ends with a small indentation 46 formed in the Wall of the sleevey forA the purposes which will be readily apparent. A rod'- like lever 48 isrthreadedly connected at one end to the shaft 32 and projects laterally outward therefrom through the slot 44. The free end of the lever 48 has a spherical control knob 50 secured thereto.

A resilient bushing 52 is interposed between the head of the axle and wheel 12. A friction disk 56 is secured to the surface of the bushing 52 adjacent the disk 16.

The freeend portion 38 ofthe sleeve is provided with a grip member 58, such as a bicycle handle bar grip.

Operation In operationV the user grasps the grip member 58 and with the leverv48 positioned at the end of the slot 44 toward the wheel rolls the wheel 12 along or over any desired surface. With thev lever 48 in this position the wheel 12 rotates freely on the axle 22. When the Wheel 12 encounters an obstruction, such as a curb, or the like, the operator manually grasps the knob 50 and while holding the member 58, moves the lever along the slot 44 thus rotating the shaft 32 relative to the rod 28 and engaging additional threads on the latter which decreases the spacing between the shaft 32 and the wheel 12 a distance equal to the lead of the thread or threads thus engaged. Rotation of the 34 within the slot 44 further moves the sleeve longitudithe adjacent side or disk 16 of thev lever 48 relative to the sleeve Y A aasaaoa nally of the shaft 32, rod 28 and axle 22 a distance equal to the helical angle of the slot thus forcing the end 60 of the sleeve against an annular ring or washer 62 interposed between the sleeve and the end of the bearing Z1. This action draws the axle head 24 inwardly toward the wheel disk 16 or, as shown by the dotted line position in Fig. 3, 4forces the wheel against the bushing 52 thus compressing the bushing and gripping the Wheel for preventing its rotation independently of the axle 22 and sleeve 34. The recesses 46 in the ends of the slot 44 act to retain the lever 48 at either end of the slot. The width of the slot is related to the diameter of the lever so that the lever may be freely movedy within the slot but which will insure movementof the sleeve 34 toward or away from the Wheel l2 as the lever is moved inthe respective direction. With the Wheel` gripped by the bush'- ing 52 the grip member 58 may be used to rotate the wheel and sleeve simultaneously and Vthus roll the wheel overthe encountered obstruction. Similarly, moving the lever 48 from the wheel gripping position moves` the sleeve outward from contact with the bearing 21 and releases the wheel for rotation on the axle. j

The gripping action or compression of the bushing 52 may be selectively adjusted by removing the lever 48 and inserting a screw driver, not shown, into the bore of the free end of the sleeve for engagement with a slot 64 formed in the free end of the shaft and decreasing or lengthening the spacing between the shaft 3'2 and the axle 22 by rotating the shaft 32 relative to the rod 28.

Obviously the invention is susceptible to some change or alteration without defeating its practicability, and l ltherefore do not wish to be confined to the preferred embodiment shown in the drawingsv and described herein, further than I amY limited by the scope of the appended claims.

l claim: v

l. A wheel and axle toy, comprising: a wheel; an axle on one end of which said wheel is rotatably mounted; a shaft coaxial with and threadedly connected at one end to the end of said axle opposite said wheel, said shaft being substantially equal vdiametrically with respect to said axle; a sleeve surrounding said axle and said shaft, said sleeve projecting outwardly beyond the free endl of said shaft, said sleeve loosely abutting said wheel and having a keyway formed in its inner surface in its end adjacent said wheel; a key secured to said axle and slidable within the keyway in said sleeve for longitudinal movement of said sleeve relative to said axle toward and away from said wheel, said sleeve having a helical slot through its wall in that portion covering said shaft; a lever threadedly connected at one end to said shaft and projecting laterally outward through the slot in said sleeve, said lever being substantially equal, diametrically, to the width of the slot; a resilient bushing surrounding said axle and interposed between said wheel and the end of' said axle opposite said shaft; and a vfriction, disk secured to saidV bushing between the bushing and the adjacent side of said wheel, whereby movement of said lever Y to the end of said axle opposite said wheel, said shaft being substantially equal diametrically with respect to said axle; a sleeve surrounding said axle and said shaft, said sleeve extending outwardly from the adjacent side of said wheel beyond the free end of said shaft for forming a control handle, said sleeve loosely abutting said wheel and having a longitudinally extending keyway formed in its inner surface in its end portion adjacent said wheel, said axle having a head formed on its end opposite said sleeve; a key secured to said axle and slidable within the keyway in said sleeve for longitudinal movement of said sleeve relative to said axle toward and away from the adjacent side of said wheel, said sleeve having a helical slot through its wall in that portion of the sleeve covering said shaft; a lever threadedly connected at one end to said shaft and projecting laterally outward through the slot in said sleeve, said lever being substantially equal, diametrically, to the width of the slot; a resilient bushing surrounding' said axle and interposed between the head on said axle and the adjacent side of said wheel; and a friction disk secured to said bushing between the bushing and the adjacent side of said wheel, whereby movement of said lever in one direction within the slot rotates said shaft for. engaging more threads on said axle and dein one directionwithin the slot rotates said shafton the threaded end of said axle and decreases the spacing between sa-id shaft and said wheel an amount substantially equal .to the lead of the threads on said axle for moving said sleeve toward said wheelv a distance equal to the leadof the threads and the lead of the helical angle of the slot and compressing said resilient bushing and gripping the wheel and preventing its rotation independently of said axle.

2; A wheel and axle toy, comprising: a wheel; an axle on one end of which said wheel is rotatably mounted; a shaft coaxial with and threadedly connected at one end creasing the spacing between said shaft and said wheel for moving said sleeve against the adjacent side of said wheel and compressing said resilient bushing and gripping said wheel.

3. A wheel and axle toy, comprising: a wheel; a stub axle on one end of which said wheel is rotatably mounted, said stub axle having an enlarged head end for holding said wheel thereon; an elongated rod of reduced diameter, withirespect to the diameter of said stub axle, coaxially secured to the end of said stub axle, the end portion ofY said rod opposite said stub axle having external threads; a cylindrical shaft threadedly engaged at one end with the threaded end of said rod, said shaft being substantially equal diametrically with respect to said stu-b axle; a sleeve surrounding said stub axle and seid shaft, said sleeve extending from the adjacent side of said wheel outwardly beyond the free end of said shaft for forming la control handle, said sleeve loosely abutting said wheel and having a longitudinally extending keyway formed in its inner surface in its end portion adjacent said wheel; a key secured to said stub axle and slidable within the keyway in said sleeve for longitudinal movement of said sleeve relative to said stub axle and said shaft toward and away from the adjacent side of said wheel, said sleeve having a helical slot cut through its wall in that portion of -the sleeve covering said shaft; a lever threadedly connected at one end to said shaft and projectingr laterally outward through the slot in said sleeve, said lever being substantially equal, diametrically, to the width of the slot; a resilient bushing surrounding said stub axle and interposed between the head thereof and the adjacent side ,of said Wheel; and a friction disk secured to said bushing between the bush-ing and the adjacent side of said wheel, whereby movement of said lever in one direction Within the slot rotates said shaft for engaging more of the threads on said rod and decreasing the spacing between said shaft and Asaid wheel for moving said sleeve againstthe adjacent side of said wheel and compressing said resilient bushing and gripping the wheel.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS r1,628,559 Showers May l0, 1927 1,683,561' Letson Sept. 4, 1928 y1,831,125 Lambert Nov. l0, 1931 

